Guardian Angel
by InvinciChicken
Summary: A fanfic written from Anna's point of view, telling of her tale from her own soul. Started long ago, and just updated! Remember this contains spoilers... I'd recommend you beat the game first unless you don't really care :P
1. Shipment of the Project

Tic: OMG I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO WRITING A FANFIC THAT I ACTUALLY WROTE OMG OMG OMG---

Colette: I'm sorry.

Tic: What for?

Colette: NOT TO YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE BECAUSE I CAN'T MAKE YOU SHUT THE HELL UP

Everyone: o.o;

Disclaimer: DO YOU SEE ME IN A HUGE MANSION ORDERING BUTLERS AROUND AND USING MONEY AS CONFETTI?!?!?!?! NOOOO!!! So I don't own Tales of Symphonia. kthxbai

Tic: Also, this IS my first fanfic... so I want lots of pointers... yeah... :nodnod: because I have a feeling that... something's wrong... lol :) It's the story of Anna's life (almost, thinking of doing some flashbacks but its basically from Iselia Ranch onwards...) told from Anna's POV... just in case you didn't know... yeah... I haven't seen a story like this so I thought I would write one? :nodnod:

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"Get up, human."

His tone was not filled with the same cruelty he used on the others. He did not kick me. His voice held the same honeying, sickening love one uses for precious, valuable artifact. I knew that he would not hurt me. He would only try to frighten me.

Even though I knew that my life would be easier if I cooperated, I refused to stand. Instead, I only curled my fingers around the rock I had tripped over, tears blurring the rough triangular stone. Finally my antagonist seized my arm and wrenched me up with careful but forceful pull.

"It would do you no good to refuse, Anna," Kvar said gently, smiling at me haughtily. I hated those devilish eyes, that whining, thin voice, that thin, curling mouth. I hated him! But I could not do anything except stare at him with hating eyes. "Move along now," he cried, talking to both me and the guards that were escorting me.

"Where are we going?" I asked in a pitifully thin voice, trying to delay my entrance into the prisoner shipment vehicle. It was a dreadfully cramped and hot car. I had heard quite a few stories of the numbers of prisoners that had died in similar vehicles. I could see the same frightened look on the prisoners that were to be shipped with me. At least I would not be alone.

"You know already. Don't you remember?" He was annoyed, I could tell. "You are to be sent to the Iselia Human Ranch. Please behave yourself there. You will probably be driven back a few months from now. I shall be waiting for you. Move along now!" The Desian guards were less gentle than Kvar. I was his precious experiment, the one human who had proved to be both compatible and strong enough to survive the cultivation procedure. Now a Cruxis Crystal grew within me, still young and harmless, but I knew it would soon turn into a possessing thing that would eat me alive, absorb my consciousness and toss away my body.

I bounced off the wall of the vehicle and crumpled into a heap, my entire body aching. The other prisoners were thrown in with me. I could hear Kvar reprimand the guard: "Be careful with the Angelus Project, you buffoon!" I heard a resounding thud as Kvar's staff presumably came down on the guard's head, but the door was slammed shut at that same instant, plunging us into total darkness.

"I... I'm scared..." murmured one of the younger prisoners, a girl who sounded as though she was around 15 years of age.

"Don't worry," I said in a quavering voice. Then, I added a bit more confidently, "I'm sure we'll get to Iselia just fine. I heard that their ranch is VERY close to the village itself, so we can try to escape and hide on its outskirts." In the darkness I was almost certain I could feel the child nod. Feeling peaceful, now that I had calmed the child, I leaned backwards against the cool steel wall of the car. It would not remain cool for long, as we would be traveling beneath the blazing sun. But for now I would indulge in its meager comfort.

The rest of the journey went smoothly without any noticeable event. We got very hungry, however, and thirsty as well. Whenever we made a stop, which was around every two days, the door would open. Blinded by the bright sunlight streaming in, we would quietly take the bread crusts, moldy fish, half-drunken water, and other bits and pieces left over from the Desians' lunch, all the parts that they could not eat or would not eat. It was a gross meal, that was certain, but it was all we had. I refused to eat at first, giving all my food to the other prisoners, but soon I grew so famished that I ate my share anyways.

After two weeks of those horrible conditions the vehicle jolted to a stop so suddenly all of us were thrown into the wall. Before we could pick ourselves up the door opened, sending us sprawling to the floor. I groaned as my ankle jabbed against the transportation vehicle sharply and pain sliced into my leg like a spark of fire. I felt embarassed suddenly, because I was in such a painful, comical position. For the instant that I was on the ground I wondered how the others felt and what the Desians thought of me, the most precious item of this meager package of humans, and the most clumsy also.

"So these are the new transfers?" a smooth male voice said. I hastily got up, brushing off my crumb-covered, stained, brown-colored dress. The man who spoke was quite handsome, with glinting red-brown eyes and sea-green hair. But, though his voice was smooth and appealing, it was tinged with a hard cruelty, even more so than Kvar. I noticed with a sickening flip of my stomach that his left arm had been replaced by a golden, cannon-like appendage, and his right eye covered by an eye patch. I wondered how he would look without these accessories.

"Hmmm... they look able, though a bit scrawny compared to my own prisoners..." he muttered. I felt myself flush with anger when he said "my own prisoners." How could he even think that?

His working eye hardly lingered on my as he scanned our "scrawny" bodies, but as he glanced at me a second time he noticed the glowing red crystal embedded into my hand. He smiled softly, a bit of maliciousness dancing in his face. "So you're the Angelus Project Kvar was so excited about. Well, I'll make that Crystal evolve much more... evolve into a PERFECT Crystal... that old geezer can't do crap with the way he's trying to do things." He paused now, cradling his chin in his good hand. Finally he looked up, resumed his proud stance, and beckoned the guards to escort us in.

He paused again by the door, then turned around and stared directly into our eyes. I shivered at how he was able to look at all of us at the same time with only one eye. "My name is Forcystus," he said at last. "Welcome to my ranch... Iselia Ranch. I hope you'll enjoy your stay." He began to laugh, a laugh that made me shudder half from a strange sort of attraction and half from a raw, pure, terrifying fear.

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Tic: And... THAT'S THAT!!!

Genis: Oh, it's one-shot?

Raine: A one-shot? WHERE?! I SIMPLY MUST EXAMINE IT!

Tic: -.- no, it's not a one-shot. That's that for the FIRST CHAPTER.

Genis: Oh... okay. Well, I'll... just wander off now o.o :wanders off:

Tic: So, anyway... please read and review... you know you want to... give pointers on how to make my story better.... Yeah... kthxbai :leaves:


	2. A New Home A New Life?

Tic: AND NOW FOR CHAPPIE TWO

Lloyd: COOL. ...but now I'm bored.

Kratos: -.-

Genis: LLOYD LOOK there's a Sorcerer's Ring! Why don't you play with that?

Lloyd: REALLY?!?!?!??! COOL :plays with Sorcerer's Ring:

Genis: :sighs and runs off to make cookies:

Kratos: -.-

Colette: Tic, have you forgotten?

Tic: OH YES OF COURSE. Uhhh.... Thanks to all that reviewed n.n me is really happy now :nodnod: So... yeah... n.n

Lloyd: I'm bored. Can I do the disclaimer now?

Tic: Yep. Go right ahead.

Lloyd: YESSSS I LOVE YOU :clears throat: **DISCLAIMER**: Tic does not own Tales of Symphonia! I repeat, she DOES NOT OWN IT. Now.... I'm bored. What do I do now?

Tic: Why don't you just go look at that lovely Sorcerer's Ring over there? :)

Lloyd: COOL A SORCERER'S RING----

Everyone: -.-

P.S: I forgot the darn title last time... so... meh, whatever XD

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**A New Home... A New Life?**

I was surprised when I was led into the ranch itself. The guards that joined us to increase the security around us were actually respectful and had well-kept uniforms, along with heavily polished and sharpened weapons. The interior was well lit and even now I could see a miserable bunch of humans scrubbing wearily at the wall with soap and brushes. Then we passed them and we walked in silence for what seemed like hours, twisting through spotless white passages and many, many doors.

My feet met the floor in soft thumps. The soles of my shoes were nothing more than thin papery strips, and soon I began to shiver. Shouldn't someone turn on the heater, bring some warmth to this cold labyrinth? Forcystus, however, still maintained his swagger as he walked unnoticing of the cold. Finally we reached what seemed to be a huge network of cages. The cells were tiny, with strong metal bars and shiny bowls placed on the floor like dog bowls. I cringed at the sight. At least in Kvar's ranch they gave us our food in proper containers. One by one I saw my companions led to their respective cells. The girl I had attempted to comfort during our trip here looked at me pleadingly before she was lead off also.

"Anna... this'll be my home for now, right? Will we... meet each other again?" Her hard, begging tone made me realize what she was asking for. She wanted to meet me again... for escape.

"Yes," I told her firmly. "Yes."

Before I could say anything more, before she could reply, the guards led her up the stairs to the second floor of prison cells. That left me all alone, standing among the scattering of Desian guards. Forcystus peered around, his face narrowed as though he were looking for some sort of problem. He found none, however, and turned toward me.

"You will not be staying here with... _them_," he said, his reddish eye piercing into my thoughts until I could feel nothing except fear. "I have received... special orders to have you live in a more, shall we say, _comfortable_ place." His eyes gleamed with maliciousness and I knew then how much he disliked Kvar. I wondered what had come between them, but naturally I did not ask.

Then again I didn't really know what else to say so I simply followed him as he led me through even more winding corridors. I was beginning to feel fatigued; days without proper food had left me weak and exhausted. But finally we arrived in a very large room, with four cells built into the wall on the far side of the room. These cells were considerably larger than the others. Two of them already held people: glum, petit, frail-looking people with soul-less eyes and pulsating gems firmly embedded into their hands. I instantly recognized them as Cruxis Crystals, though they emanated only a dull energy. Probably experiments that were doomed for failure. No doubt Forcystus was trying to keep them alive to at least cultivate some sort value from them.

Forcystus didn't say a thing to me as he pushed me rather vigorously into the cell. Everything inside was simply a larger version of the smaller cells. The bowls were glued firmly onto the floor, and all I had for a bed were 4 thick, scratchy blankets. Forcystus left quite abruptly, leaving a Desian swordsman to explain the rules of the place.

"Remember, human, the most important rule is to not escape. You will be given food twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. As you can see your water bowl is already filled; it will be changed only once a week, so be careful not to dirty it. As for use of toilets... there's one in the back of your cell. Do not cause trouble, now, human. To do so would be more than your life's worth." With that he left.

For the rest of the day nothing happened, and it was because of this that I became frightened and sad. The only people to accompany me were the dying people in the cells next to mine, and they were incapable of normal speech. All I heard were soft moans and pitiful calls, and occasionally a few words strung together in a twisted sentence. I was even more depressed as I attempted to drink from the water bowl. I finally managed by cupping my hands into the water and bringing it up to my face. It was more difficult than simply sucking it through my lips, but I was not willing to lower myself like that. Not yet. My food bowl was still empty, since they would not be filling it until morning. The "toilet" at the back of my cell was nothing more than a hole. It was extremely deep and didn't smell bad at all, but there was not a flush button in sight.

I assumed that it was nighttime when I felt sleepy, since they did not dim the lights, even at night. Though the blankets were thick I could still feel the cold stone floor through them. Shivering and lonely, I found myself reflecting on my former home, my parents... the life I had loved before I had been captured...

I felt myself begin to drift off into dreams...

_"Anna, please wake up now, naptime is over and its time to walk Fifi..."_

_The little brown-haired girl stretched, opening wide her gap-toothed mouth. Two teeth had fallen out this week and she was very proud of the spaces. But now it was time to walk the family dog, Fifi. The six-year-old leapt eagerly out of bed and ran to her mother. Her mother was a very pretty woman with soft blue eyes and wavy brown hair, though around her eyes were laugh lines. They did indeed make her look cheerful, although a bit old. _

_"Would you like me to come and walk with you?" she asked her daughter lovingly. Her child was nearly perfect, but she had a tendency to lose her focus on things that did not interest her and she was a bit chubby. Unlike her mother she had her father's nearly black eyes, but she kept her mother's soft wavy hair. _

_"Yea, Mommy, pleathe!" she begged, smiling brightly and revealing the hole in her mouth that made her speak with that lisp._

_"Alright, let's go leash Fifi now," she said, picking Anna off her lap and setting her on the floor. Anna rushed away, finally finding Fifi asleep under her mother's bed. After tying the rope around Fifi's neck, she eagerly ran out the door and flew down the dirt path, leaving her mother laughing and jogging after her._

_"My, you're so energetic today. Let's go walk to the garden." The garden was actually just a lone patch of lively green grass, with many wildflowers blooming about it, but it was a beautiful and quiet place to relax. Anna grinned and trotted alongside her mother._

_They finally arrived at the garden, and then Anna and her little dog began to romp about in the grass, laughing and tugging at each other's hair. They were soon tired out and sat with their faces to the sky, looking at the clouds._

_"Mommy, why do cloudth have shapeth?" Anna inquired. _

_"Well, it's because the angels in the sky are just as bright and curious and artistic as you and I. They like to make shapes and paint too but they don't have any mud or paint like we do here. So they make do with the best they can. They take clouds and make sculptures or they take rain and paint beautiful rainbows in the sky for all of us to look at and enjoy." _

_"Then why do the cloudth thtop looking like thtuff after awhile?" she asked._

_"Because the angels don't have a lot of cloud to work with, so they must destroy the work they have now to make new ones. They're sad about it, but they get happy when they make the new sculptures because those new sculptures are just as pretty."_

_"I see, Mommy. You're tho thmart. I wish I could be ath thmart as you thomeday, too!" She turned toward her mother, smiling, but her mother's face was only there for a moment. The next instant the smiling visage of her mother disappeared._

I awoke so suddenly I cricked my back. Somehow that bright image of my mother's face had brought me back to wakefulness, and though that dream had been quite a cheerful one, it left me with a feeling of impending dread. Somehow I found myself thinking...

_It's not fair... _ I don't know why my mind kept repeating those three words.

It's not fair. I glanced around my bare cell, noticing with a sickening wave of depression that I was being watched through two cameras.

It's not fair. I peered at the food bowl and noticed two large pellets, soft looking and brightly-colored. Was that to be my food for the day?

It's not—

My ears picked up the sound of faint footsteps, growing louder and louder with each passing moment. The owner of the footsteps wore heavy boots, I could tell. After another minute or so a soft, haughty voice began to speak.

"...so I want to make sure that you condition her as well as possible. I want to be sure Kvar will receive a perfect Cruxis Crystal when I return her to that pitiful—mighty, I mean—Grand Cardinal." Forcystus stopped right in front of the bars of my cell, his single eye glittering. I glared at him hatefully and pulled my blankets farther up my body.

"Well, I'll have to admit she is a bit timid... and defiant at the same time. But I should think that won't bother you?" He spoke to one I could not see while frowning.

I continued to glare at him as a deep, musical, but hard voice answered, "Do not think she will trouble me. I will do the best I can and I assure you it will be more than necessary." Forcystus paused for quite a long time, then nodded curtly and left. I shuddered as I watched him swing his replaced arm.

Now that Forcystus had left the man he was talking to appeared in my field of view. I looked at him with a sort of timid shock. He, like Forcystus, was handsome, though that face was chilling in the fact that it was expressionless. Almost like a mask. His eyes bore a strange mix of emotions, ranging from curiosity to anger to sadness to confusion. Those red-brown eyes had a dim veil over them, but it was as if I could see all the emotions of his life through those eyes. They were frosted windows to his past. His messy red hair nearly covered those eyes, though, and with a sweep of a gloved hand through his hair and a beeping of the electronic door he entered. A long sword rested in a hilt at his belt, though I could not see what sort of blade it was. He carried his shield strapped to his arm, and swung that arm carelessly. He must be quite an experienced swordsman to act like that. He was dressed in a blue-purple outfit that was complicated to describe but dashing all the same. I felt myself blush as he peered sternly down at me. My eyes averted involuntarily as he continued to stare.

Finally he greeted me. "You are Anna, correct?" he spoke softly, in that same musical, hard voice. "I am to, shall we say, become your teacher for the next few weeks. My name is Kratos Aurion."

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Tic: HAHAHAHHA and another chapter done.

Everyone: :snoring:

Tic: :cries: Fine, be that way :runs off:

....

....

Okay, I came back. Here's thanks to the reviewers n.n

**WhitterZ**: Thanks for the review! I'll attempt to keep Kratos in character, but the life of a chicken is hard and perhaps... yeah, ok XD

**TrinitySilk:** Thanks for the review, I'll try to keep all of you readers happy n.

**TheFireV**: Thanks for the review, I'll try to update as fast as possible with all of this school and homework and the like... :P

**Jellybeanz225**: yaaaaay another Kratos x Anna fan n.n Thanks for the tips, although I must say I will probably disappoint you on the fast update/cliffhanger stuff :( Inspiration hit me now but I have SCHOOL :growl: and I'm not very good with cliffhangers, but I'll see what I can do!

**Seventh Sage:** Thanks for the review. Anna stories make me sad too but I'm such a big fan . Agreed on the Kvar/Forcystus thing...


	3. The Living Crystal

Tic: Yes children, I am actually UPDATING! I'm sure you are all excited

Genis: Ahahaha… right.

Tic: WHAT? If you have something to say, say it :(

Raine: Uhhh, of course not! I'll just… take Genis out of this room for awhile so we can have a talk.

Tic: Goody.

:painful noises:

Genis: NOOOOOOOOO---

Tic: O.o… that was just a little extreme… ANYWAY. Yes I have been totally dead for about… oh, ten years? I hope you'll still enjoy the third chapter of "Guardian Angel" anyhow! My writing style may have changed, so please forgive me… now I guess you want to read the story, so here you go.

Colette: Wait, the disclaimer! Tic doesn't own anything! She's completely broke! She spent it all on video games because she can't plan ahead!

Tic: -.-

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**The Living Crystal**

I slumped, exhausted, against the wooden crate I had been pushing. My dress was moist with my own sweat and blood, and my stomach felt extremely uneasy. I didn't understand why I had to work like this, so long and so hard. The other prisoners toiled away at keeping the ranch clean and manufacturing the Exspheres that would eventually lead to their own demise. My job was to move huge boxes of unknown materials, and for unknown reasons. I was slaving away for no apparent reason, except to become exhausted. I had spent at least an hour here already with Kratos directing my actions. Perhaps the Desians were just trying to kill me…

"Anna," came his voice again. I continued to lean against the crate, gasping for breath. However, this time I wasn't being defiant. My body begged for rest; I was simply too tired to respond. I sank to the floor, shivering and sweating at the same time.

"Anna!" He sounded terribly angry. I opened my eyes with great effort and stared blearily at Kratos's boots, inches from my nose. I knew what was coming next—a kick in my backside or a blow to my head. I cringed involuntarily, shielding my head with my arms.

Moments passed without anything happening. I looked up, expecting a smack to my face, but only saw Kratos kneeling over me with a concerned expression. Then he grasped my arm gently and pulled me up. "You must get up," he scolded, though his voice was far gentler than I had ever heard it to be. I was surprised, to say the least. He was a high-ranking Desian… now helping me to get up. It was the greatest bit of compassion I'd ever received since I had been taken from my home.

"Kratos… why…" I murmured, still feeling sick.

"We may have worked you a little too hard," he replied softly. But then his voice iced over, his gentler side disappearing as fast as a fleeing mouse. "We need to be careful with the Project, after all. Stay here, and don't even think about moving!"

I flinched at his harsh intonation, still sprawled on the floor. Almost instantly he had walked out of the room. The door wheezed shut and several clicks were heard as it locked. I felt a tear suddenly dribble out of my eye. To be stuck here in this unforgiving ranch… It was hell.

_You haven't even been here for a day!_ An inner voice scolded. Forcystus wanted his perfect Cruxis Crystal, though. He would stop at nothing to get it, and in the meantime I would suffer. I tried to recall what Kvar had told me back at his ranch. "The Cruxis Crystal needs to mature on suffering and strain," he had murmured darkly while flipping through a thick stack of research notes.

Without suffering and strain this lethal little rock embedded in my hand would wither and die. Either the crystal survived or I did. I felt the hard, smooth surface of the stone, then shouted a meaningless cry into the empty room, my voice taut with rage. I threw my hand again and again at the crate, my fingers unfeeling and numb. I was oblivious to the pain. I only wanted this crystal off of me! My sobs mingled with the clinking sounds of the crystal hitting the wooden box. This was how Kratos found me when he returned. My entire hand was swollen and dark red, and I was still crying as I continued to throw it against the crate. The Cruxis Crystal continued to glitter with malicious life, unscathed and unharmed.

I was suddenly wrenched away and pinned to the floor. Through my reckless tears I could see Kratos, one hand effortlessly holding my wrists together while the other held my shoulder down. His shouts for me to calm down seemed distant. Eventually, though, I ran out of energy and stopped resisting.

Gradually the pressure on my wrists relented, and Kratos let me go. I scooted backwards, confused and dazed. What had I just done?

What had he just done?

"Here," he said emotionlessly, as though nothing had happened. His face was rather flushed, although I decided that it was because of our brief struggle. He handed me a square metal container. Liquid was sloshing inside. "Drink this. I thought you might need it… and now I can see that I am right."

I reached out tentatively for the strangely shaped flask and lifted the lid. The liquid inside was clear and sweet-smelling. After a small taste I began to gobble it greedily. Thirst had certainly overtaken me after my strenuous labor in this room. I wondered what this miracle liquid was. It was refreshing and tasty, and seemed to refill my hunger as well as slake my thirst. After my fiery need for water was satisfied, though, I suddenly realized something was wrong. I had physically rebelled against a Desian… and now he was treating giving me food.

"What… is this…?" I asked timidly, lowering the cup. Kratos looked firmly past my shoulder.

"It's a formula," he said quietly. "For your Crystal. You haven't worked hard enough… we have engineered a new brew to help the Crystal develop faster."

Needless to say I was shocked. The flask dropped from my hand smoothly, splashing its contents across the slick white floor with a loud crash. I backed away slowly, wiping my mouth. I had just drunk the equivalent of poison. The Cruxis Crystal would mature even faster now… and I would be nothing more than its cocoon.

I couldn't do anything more than stare at him with terrified eyes, but he just stood there and continued to look at nothing in particular. Loathing filled me then—how could these people treat me like this? Kill me without remorse or emotion? …No, they weren't people. They were half-elves. Half human!

A wicked pain suddenly pierced my hand, causing me to shriek. I stared in horror at the living crystal, flashing with an evil red light. The pain continued to grow and twist, slowly consuming my body. I could do nothing but writhe and twist, at last succumbing to the pain and falling to the floor. My screams must have been terrible indeed, because the last thing I heard were what seemed like hundreds of footsteps closing in. More Desian guards.

But they weren't the last things that I saw. As I fluttered to the floor, still refusing to give up to the Crystal, I stared hatefully into Kratos's eyes. At last he looked back at me, and I thought I saw a curtain lift. Pain, sadness, horror, pity… a river of emotions connected us for one instant. Still, rage was all I felt. And as my body finally fell to the blinding pain in my hands, as my eyes finally closed involuntarily, I felt only the heat of anger and a deep, deep sorrow.

"Why…!"

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Tic: And now I'm done with CHAPTER 3! Dundundun

Colette: goody. Your fans were waiting

Lloyd: Fans? I'm hot, where do I buy one?

Tic: -.- whatever. Anyway I know the ending was very confusing but hopefully it'll all be explained in later chapters.

Genis: Hopefully. Right. Like we can trust you on that one, miss I-took-two-years-to-update!

Tic:O Ignore him, continue to review please :D


	4. Homesickness

Tic: Hello people, welcome to the fourth chapter of Guardian Angel! Four is my unlucky number, so I've decided today will be an unlucky day for Kratos

Kratos: Oh… crap. :(

Tic: Now don't worry, you're not gonna get any serious injuries and/or deaths! That would be horrible for the plot.

Kratos: Hmph. Some relief. :leaves:

Lloyd: Actually Tic was just kidding! Jeez you don't have to leave!

Tic: great, thanks for ruining it Lloyd… anyway, as you can see I don't own Kratos. Or Anna. Or ToS! I only own this story! So have fun reading it!

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Homesick 

I don't know when I truly woke. For a long time, I felt as though I were flowing first into a dream and then out of it into reality, only to slip back into darkness once more. When I finally pulled out of my world of half-thoughts, I realized that I was back in my cell. My head was woozy, my vision blurry… I sat up as best I could with my heavily throbbing head, and ran my hand through my hair. Then I heard the voices.

They were distant and muffled, but sounded so wrathful the hair on my neck stood on end. _This is oddly reminiscent of my first day here_, I thought dryly. I could recognize the voices now, as they were drawing closer. Forcystus and Kratos were obviously having another argument, but this time they sounded much more heated. Instinctively I drew back and pressed against the wall of my cell, not eager to make myself noticed while they were so angry.

The door suddenly burst open and the pair walked in, Forcystus leading the way and Kratos looking livid and following. The other experiments in the room were moaning loudly, indifferent to the commotion.

"You cannot expect me to give you that much freedom, Kratos!" the green-haired Desian shouted at Kratos, his one eye glittering dangerously. "Kvar has already tipped me off… you're a suspicious one, you know. I can't let you!"

"Now it's a matter of who you trust more, Kvar or me," replied Kratos darkly, his voice calm but on the verge of shaking.

"I trust neither of you, only my own judgment!" Forcystus snarled back, twisting around and marching straight up to Kratos. I clambered to the back of my cage, my dizziness now completely forgotten. What were these two talking about?

"You know Lord Yggdrasill's orders," Kratos muttered, still calm. "Kvar knows it too, but he won't accept it! You know how he started this project, and he knows you will claim the glory if given the chance. You must let me—"

The whole room suddenly shook violently. I let out a small cry before falling; the entire room was suddenly filled with screams as the other experiments began to cry out confusedly. Forcystus had fired his cannon—FIRED HIS CANNON—in the midst of all of us! Kratos had dodged, though only narrowly. A semicircle was dug into the wall, still smoking. The Grand Cardinal, his robotic arm still exposing the energy cannon built into it, slowly pointed it again at Kratos.

"You really shouldn't try my patience," he whispered with malice. "You know how I don't have any." With that he turned and walked swiftly out the room. The door shut behind him with a little difficulty, as the door had been dented in the explosion.

Kratos simply stared at the crater on the wall, anger impounded into every inch of his body. I watched with morbid curiosity, though I knew that I would be thrashed in an instant if he found out that I had been eavesdropping. Then again, with an argument like that, who could miss out on it? I didn't know what to think.

The red-haired man finally stalked angrily to the door, fully intending to leave, but then he seemed to change his mind. I hastily lowered my eyes as Kratos approached, half from fear and half from—no, no. It was all fear… Of course it was all fear! What else could I feel for my tormentor? A small argument began to flutter in my chest, but it quickly died out. I caught my breath as Kratos quickly unlocked the door to my cell. It opened with a quiet beep.

"Anna," he said shortly. "I had a little discussion with Forcystus, as you can see. It concerned you."

"Yes, I saw…" I replied, turning my face up to him at last. I kept my eyes looking down, though. "What… what are you going to do with me?"

He laughed suddenly, a sound that took me by surprise. Then he crouched onto the floor so that we were eye-to-eye. "I don't want to be your 'instructor' anymore, to be frank," he said softly. His words hit my like stones.

Not my instructor? Then who, Forcystus himself? I would be dead within the week, I knew it.

"Instead, I wanted to take full control of the Angelus Project," he continued. "Kvar's already found out about Lord Yggdrasill's intent, but Forcystus refuses to see the fact that—"

He stopped when he noticed me, with mouth agape and a stupidly shocked expression on my face. Hastily I shut it, angrily reprimanding myself for committing such an idiotic blunder. Here he was, spilling deep Desian secrets, and I had ruined myself of the chance for escape! All because I was surprised at the fact Kratos had decided to be so bold with the whole Project!

"I apologize… I have spoken too much," he said, turning away bluntly. I thought I felt a little weariness in that smooth voice of his.

"I want to go home, Kratos," I suddenly whispered. For some reason I thought that I wouldn't get punished for voicing such thoughts, and for once my thoughts were right.

"You can't," he said simply. "I'm sorry…"

Was that compassion in his soul? I felt so torn. I was the prisoner, I was the slave, I was the Project. Why was I being apologized to? I'd never known any pity from anyone before, especially a Desian. It was enough to make any head spin.

Before I could help myself, though, I began to sob openly. "Why can't I go home? Why can't I leave this wretched place?" I cried bitterly. Why, indeed?

"My entire family… you Desians killed them. My mother, my father, my brother, all of my family was slaughtered in an instant!" I raged on, oblivious to the consequences. I ignored the twinge in my hand, a twinge caused by the Crystal. "WHY? I WANTED A NORMAL LIFE… WHY DID YOU SINGLE ME OUT?"

I collapsed onto my arms, still weak from my excursion earlier. The strain of shouting had tired me out. I still sobbed, though, my tears feeding a slowly growing puddle on the floor.

I tensed when his hands suddenly gripped my shoulders and pulled me back into a sitting position. The tears I had shed moments before couldn't hide my blush—why was I blushing? I averted my eyes from Kratos's own. I couldn't look into his eyes… not yet.

Something else filled my vision, though, and it took me awhile to realize that I was staring at my own reflection. Kratos was holding a small mirror in front of my face, and the girl I saw in that window shocked me into tears again.

I hadn't looked at myself for many years, ever since I was a normal girl of six. My face was dirty and streaked, as ugly as the earth itself must have looked at its creation. My brown hair was rough and cropped short, so that I resembled a young boy. Though my true age was 24, my reflection showed the image of an aged woman. The image was so familiar, and yet so ghostly at the same time. I looked away, but there was nowhere else to look except into Kratos's eyes. Instead, I buried my face into my arms and began to cry once more.

I don't know how long we sat there, with my uncontrollable crying and his silence. Eventually, though, he spoke.

"You aren't alone as long as you trust someone," he said quietly.

I raised my head, still smeared with tears. "I don't trust anyone," I replied. "Why did you give me that potion?" He seemed surprised by the sudden change of subject, but dropped his eyes and reluctantly answered.

"It wasn't a potion. It was just some juice…" he said, a little sheepishly. "I'm sorry for lying to you, Anna. But there were too many sensors… I'm not allowed to be kind. You should know that."

Sensors! Dammit, I'd nearly forgotten about those. "But this room… it has cameras! I saw them!"

"Don't worry," he said, laughing softly. "I turned them off, so no one can hear us." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, thank you… Kratos," I said stiffly. "I still want to go home… Why couldn't I have a normal life?"

Kratos slowly stood up and turned away. "I'm sorry…. I can't do anything about that," he replied sadly. That sadness… I felt it was sincere, but by now I wasn't surprised at all. Kratos had a kind heart.

"I see," I said shakily, trying to stop my tears. I was crying too much for my own good. I didn't normally cry—this was a first. "I suppose I should just blame my fate, shouldn't I? Fate has been cruel…"

Kratos stepped out of my cell and closed the door. I caught a shy smile on his face, another emotion that looked sincere to me.

"Blame your fate… Yes, it is a cruel thing to say, but it is true." His smile faded away, and it was like shutting a door. Once more, I could not read his face. Once more he became another hidden entity, another Desian in this whole city of Desians.

After he left I felt a terrible loneliness. It was like losing my mother all over again, though I couldn't fathom why.

_He is your enemy,_ I told myself repeatedly. And he was. That would never change. And though I had just woken up, I suddenly felt so weary that I lay back down. The world swirled, making taunting faces. I do not know when reality finally ended and my dreams finally began.

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Tic: so that was chapter four. I started it at 12:30 AM and now it is 1:16 AM! Kudos to me. Right. I guess the fact that I wrote it really fast balances the suckiness? No, I don't think so… Well, anyway, please read and review! Also, next chapter will be very exciting, I promise! (I hope…)


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